Prince of Arabia
by winterslegend
Summary: In a far away land lived a beautiful prince with ivory skin and golden hair who fell in love with a slave boy. A slave boy who is far more then what he appears to be.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone. I'm back with a new story. I think it's pretty good, I hope you like it.

winterslegend

Chapter 1

"I'll buy him for thirty pieces of copper, no more. He's a scrawny little thing, barely even alive and much more then he's worth" the man in white flowing robes said handing the other man money.

"Come on boy," he said yanking the rope around his wrists.

The man looked back at him "Do you have a name?"

The boy with brown hair peered up at him with hard eyes "Trowa."

The man tugged on the rope again "Alright, you will call me Master Rashid. You will not be my only slave, I have much status in these parts and I am expected to have plenty of slaves."

Trowa had learned after his many months on the slave boats that minimal answers were expected and was the only form of response abided by. He gave a small shiver in remembrance of the slave boats, he pushed the memory to the back of his mind and wished upon wishes that he would forget the hellish voyage.

Rashid looked back at him then back at the slave stand which was quite far away by now, the man gave a laugh "You're lucky you know. I'm a much nicer Master then some of the other dealers back there."

Trowa bowed his head "Yes Master Rashid" not believing the man.

Rashid gave a small laugh and shook his head and climbed up onto his horse which was tied to a stall on the outer rims of the bazaar "Come on boy. We're almost to you new home."

Rashid's home was, in fact, proof to his wealth and stature. It was made of yellow polished stone with marble stairs and balconies. There were trees and plants in his front yard and the newly named Trowa watched in detached fascination as other slaves trimmed the trees and plants with sharp blades.

"Welcome home Trowa. You shall remain here until I either decided to let you go or until your death. Whichever one comes first," Rashid gave a loud laugh and looked down at him from the giant horse.

'Comforting' Trowa thought with an inner scowl.

"Aye! Heero! Come over here!" Rashid screamed to a boy with dark brown hair leading a train of horses.

The boy gave the reins over to the boy next to him with peculiar features. The other boy's eyes were sharp and black, his hair was also black as pitch while his skin remained pale as snow. His pitch black hair was tied back into a ponytail and he wore a white suit, customary for high class slaves.

Heero, as Rashid called him, was fierce, Trowa could see it in his eyes. His clothing was strange for such weather as well, a black loose under shirt and leggings and a green tunic on top. His blue eyes were strange since there were very few blue eyes in Arabia. Trowa himself had been expensive for a slave because of his foreign green eyes and lighter brown hair.

Rashid clapped Heero on the back "Ah Heero! Meet your new friend Trowa. Get him some decent clothes and teach him the ropes around here. He'll be the animal keeper you had requested."

Trowa was surprised, such familiarity between slave and master. It was strange to see. He had witnessed slave abuse in the market where he waited to be purchased. Stories from other slaves had prepared him for the worst, broken arms, severe bruising and beatings, whipping.

Trowa shook his head, whatever the reason, it had nothing to do with him. Heero must be a very good slave so Rashid treats well.

Heero turned to Trowa as Rashid rode off to his house's front door. He looked him up and down, judging him. Trowa knew that look, it was the look that a herder gave his cattle. He was looking for weaknesses, flaws. The green eyed boy raised his chin, he had no flaw.

Satisfied Heero turned and beckoned the other boy to follow him "You will care for the animals in Master Rashid's stables and zoo, wash them, feed them, clean up after them."

Heero led him to a room with fine furnishings, Trowa almost stopped to stare at the marble lined flooring and rich fountains draped with greenery but Heero kept walking. He led him to a closet in the other room and pulled out a dark blue tunic and a lighter blue undershirt and pants and finally some actually fitting black boots.

"You're lucky you're normal build, a little skinny but you'll get fattened up. You should thank Allah. He blessed you with having such a kind master. Master Rashid never beats us, he feeds us well, clothes us and sometimes he even pays us," Heero said, his voice as monotone as his eyes.

Trowa had no shame when he discarded his rags for the finer clothes which were soft against his skin, the shoes were comfortable and soft, he was glad he even wore shoes.

Heero showed him after he'd gotten dressed where the stable was. It was at the back of the house near the back door to the kitchen. There were chickens, goats, horses, pigs. Rashid also had a menagerie in large room in his larger house, a fenced in area at the corner of the room containing a family of monkeys, there were cushions for dogs and cats to sleep in, a cage for even larger cats, lions actually, and a few tigers.

"Why does Master Rashid keep lions and tigers?" Trowa asked, actually speaking for the first time of his own free will.

Heero smirked "Master Rashid likes them, he enjoys their company. Plus, the prince comes by every now and then. He also loves the animals."

Trowa nodded and looked over at the caged lions. He gazed into their eyes and was memorized by the intelligence he saw in there. The lion seemed to see him, really see him. It was sizing him just like Trowa was to him, the lion gave off an aura of royalty, of nobility. Trowa slowly withdrew into his own body again and was surprised to see that the lion was staring at him. Most animals never held a human gaze, but it did. Trowa barely heard Heero when he said it was time for them to report for dinner.

The servants ate in the kitchen it seemed, there were more slaves then Trowa had thought before. Heero nodded to everyone and pointed to each of them in turn, there were three other males, one was the curious looking one, "Wufei", then Heero, and then the gardener, a long brown haired, blue eyed guy who was looking at him with a peculiar smile. Dressed in completely midnight blue with a strange glint in his eye this strange boy looked like death on blue wings, his name was quite odd as well, "Duo ." The females in the servants were numbered at four, one had long (really long) blond hair and rather scary eyebrows wearing a deep red dress "Dorothy," the girl sitting next to her had brown hair twined in two, it resembled a twirled braid actually, her name was common but not in these parts, "Sally." After her was a woman who sat really close to the Death look alike. She had strange short cropped blue hair and a yellow suit, he recognized her as the other gardener he had seen outside "Hilde." The last one had thick curly hair that reached her chin, a pink tunic with paler pink billowing sleeves and pants completed her ensemble but Trowa could see the knives that lined her belt, her name was "Catherine." 'She must be the cook,' he thought eyeing the strange woman.

Duo smiled brightly and patted a empty seat "Sit down! Have a bite! You look like you need it buddy."

Trowa studied the braided man and decided that he was harmless, for now anyways, and sat down next to him. He breathed a sigh of relief inwardly since this was the first time he'd sat down for the past three days, the slave cages were cramped and left no room for sitting and much less lying down during the night hours.

For the first time he noticed the food before him, it was more of a banquet for Trowa though who'd been living off water and crusts of bread for a very long time. He eyed the meal of bread, cheeses, fruits and an actual chicken set before him. Duo poured him a cup of some dark amber liquid and quick sniff of it determined that it was barely beer. Something he had once enjoyed a life time ago. He took a sip and memories of the better days in his life flooded his mind.

He was nearly brought to tears. For so long... all he could remember before this moment was damp, moldy, rotting cabins below deck of a slave boat from hell.

Trowa could still remember the rotting bodies pushed off into the corners of the cabins, the sickly, malnutrition, rotting corpses of almost friends. He remembered the one day he stumbled over one as he went above decks and fell... the face almost completely decomposed was writhing with maggots and rats. He's hurled in the corner, the stench mixing with the other nauseous fumes.

Trowa shook his head and nearly kept himself from hurling.

Duo gave him a piece of bread "You'll get used to it. Start on something easy buddy."

Trowa accepted it knowing that most of the slaves in this room were also from foreign countries so they had also experienced the horrid nightmare.

The group gazed at him sympathetically knowing what he was going through. Catherine smiled melancholily, she'd only arrived at Rashid's six months ago and was adapting to this as well. Heero had been here the longest with nearly seven years under his belt but he was still plagued with cruel images that haunted his dreams at night, and sometimes in the day, all he had to do was close his eyes.

Trowa continued to sip the drink and eat the bread and then, after a little while picked up a date. He eyed the purplish fruit before biting into it and he could almost feel nutrition and health flow into him. As if a dam broke he began to eat hungrily. His nearly not existent stomach filled with food. His body consumed the vitamins and the liquids up with a frantic vigor. Duo gave him a cup of water knowing too much beer would make him sick and in his fragile state he couldn't afford that.

Trowa stopped panting after he drained his cup and looked down at his hands, had he really eaten? He touched his stomach and a faint smile reached his lips. Perhaps this wasn't a wonderful dream after all. Cathy stood and took his arm, leading him to the slaves quarters.

It was a separate building then the main house, a two story house actually. Rashid was very generous to his slaves, unusually so, but it made his servants all the more eager to serve him and serve him well. He lost nothing and gained a large amount. That was how he did all of his dealings and he had a huge house and property in the result not to mention a sizable vault.

Cathy led him into a small one room living quarter, it had a comfy bed, a window with shutters, a basin for washing and shelves to hold whatever he decided to buy with what Rashid's pay check would allow him. She knew he would adjust but for now, sleep was good. Rashid didn't expect him to start work until the day after but until then, the others could do his work as they had done after the other slave, Trieze, had been granted release.

She laid him down in his bed and covered him with a thick woolen blanket, she smiled at the slight figure and ruffled his hair affectionately for leaving the room. He would be fine.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello everyone! Here's Chapter two! I don't Own any of the Gundam Wind characters or make any money whatsoever. So, with that said. Here's the story of Quatre and Trowa's romance!

Chapter 2

Trowa woke the next morning with a rather large ache in his gut. He moaned and rolled the side clutching his stomach. He felt as if everything he ate was trying to come back up, and he was pretty sure it was.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to food again" a voice said next to him.

Startled he looked over his shoulder and at the person seated next to his bed. He saw the girl, Catherine standing there with a piece of cloth "Here. You need to take a bath. Normally you'll have to draw water for yourself in the mornings but since you're too sick to, just like all of us were, we decided to draw water for you," she indicated to the basin of water next to the bed.

"It's pretty warm but you'll have to get up early an boil your own water in the mornings. Breakfast is at about nine, we all have to be up before Master so we can assist him in the mornings and cook him food. Dorothy is his maid, Heero's his butler and also the head-servant, Wufei is the animal trainer, you'll be working close with him, I'm the cook, Hilde and Duo are the gardeners and Sally is the physician. She sees to all of our medical needs, you need to see her today by the way," She listed never missing a beat as if it were a well practiced speech "You can come to any of us at any point of the day if you're in need of anything at all. Now, come on. You'll have to bathe yourself though, I'm only supposed to tell you what to do today. You have no work cause you're still recuperating from the horrid markets."

Cathy stood aside and gave him the cloth, she turned to leave the room but Cathy said she'd be right outside the door to bring him to Sally's when he was ready. It was past noon so she didn't have to do anything for about two hours, she'd have to start cooking dinner then.

Trowa eased himself into the tepid bath sighing, he rubbed the grit out from his skin and cleaned his brittle nails, he washed his hair using the soap next to the wash basin, he looked at the water and grimaced at the now brown/ gray water. He dried himself off and dressed in the clothes Heero gave him.

Cathy took one look at him and saw the wrinkles. She smiled, as if to a child, and went back into his room and draped over the foot of the bed was a nightgown.

"You're to change into this before bed time. There's also another pair of clothes you're supposed to get but it seems Heero forgot. It's what you're to wear when your uniform is getting washed. When you finish your duties Heero will check your work and if he approves then you get the rest of the day off. He'll do check ups on you for about a week or two then after that he'll do surprise checkups. Make sure you're doing your job."

Catherine led him to Sally's office which was a room in the mansion.

Trowa entered and saw Sally at her desk writing in pieces of paper. She looked up as he came in, without uttering a word she indicated to a chair motioning him to sit down.

He sat and watched as she made beautiful looking characters that he knew, to someone who understood it, it was a language. At the bottom of the paper she made very extravagant swirls and scrawl and suspected that it was her signature.

"So, you feel any better?" she asked putting her quill down and resting her chin in her hands.

Trowa scowled "Not really, I feel a little sick from all the food."

Sally laughed and stood up, she picked up her medical bag off the shelf to her left and started walking to an adjacent room.

Trowa followed him and saw that it must have been her medical lab.

"What does Master Rashid have need of a physician when there must be many other doctors in the markets?" Trowa asked curious about her purpose.

Sally laughed and patted the raised bed pushed up against the wall "Sit up here Trowa."

She took out her medical supplies and started checking his pulse by holding his wrists.

"Well you see, not many doctors in the marketplace are real doctors. Many just claim to be and issue 'medicine' that probably ends up killing people. Then there are those who believe the only cure is to bleed a person. By me being his personal physician he has an easy access, trustworthy doctor and I get a very nice paycheck. Now, open your mouth."

She peered into his mouth and grimaced, she felt his forehead and, checked his ears and eyes.

Sally put away her medical supplies and sighed, "Well, your heart rate is pretty regular, not very strong but it'll get better with more nutritious substances in your diet. You have heavy cavities that can't really be treated with my limited resources but I can provided you with a paste that you have to scrub your teeth with everyday. Everyone here uses it, my own recipe. You have very brittle hair, teeth and nails which indicate deficient on calcium. You're a case of scurvy just waiting to happen so you'll need some more vitamin C, you have a mild case of sunburn and your skin is very dry. I can give you a lotion that will help with the sunburn and dry skin but other then that you can work but you'll have to take it slow."

Trowa nodded and accepted all the little tubes and bottles that she gave him with not a word before leaving her office.

Cathy was resting against the open window enjoying the view when Trowa stepped out of the office.

Trowa watched her for a moment not knowing what to say but nothing came to mind. That was nothing new, he never was a talker even before... Trowa stopped his train of thought, there was nothing worth remembering.

Cathy smiled at him "Hey. You're done already? Great, come on, you can help me with lunch."

She led him into the kitchen at the bottom levels, "How good are you with a knife?" she asked pulling out some knives and wiping them on her apron.

Trowa shrugged "Haven't ever used one."

Cathy gave him an incredulous look "Never?"

He shook his head "Nope... I always... I... can't remember."

She patted him on the shoulder and started gathering all the spices the were contained in bottles that she needed, "I think I'll make some soup. A nice vegetable broth."

She took out a jar and gave it to Trowa "Here. Could you fill this? There's a well down the road, it's clean and disease free, one of the only ones for a while too so there'll be quite a few people there. Be nice and don't loose your way, it's not far."

Trowa brought the jar with him and frowned at the weight, he wasn't as strong as he used to be. Before, he could ride his horse for hours and then he was just a little boy... his horse. He hadn't thought of Starchaser for the longest time. Chase...

He was startled out of his thoughts by him bumping into a soft body. He looked around wildly as saw the many women and a few men all gathered around a single well. The dirt around the base of the well was wet and the stone was wet as well. The girl he bumped into looked up at him in surprised for her spot on the ground. It didn't register that he had pushed her down accidentally until she asked if he was gonna help her up.

"Well?" she asked, her sky blue eyes twinkled playfully.

Trowa offered her a hand and she rose, she wasn't very tall and judging from her attire, wealthy. Immediately he lowered his gaze "My apologies mistress. If you wish to punish me it is your right to do so."

She shook her head and started to laugh "My my, let me see, funny brown hair, green eyes, the clothes you wear have only come from one place, because only one man dresses his servants so finely, except for the Royal family that is. You must be Trowa. Rashid's newest servant. My name is Relena. Are you fetching water?" she asked.

Trowa nodded and followed her to the well. She showed how to attach the jar onto rope and lower it in the well, "You have to listen for the sound of water hitting the jar before you pull up. It should be heavy so you turn this and it pulls up easier." She turned a handle and Trowa say a couple gears turn and suddenly Trowa was reminded of the home he left behind. A world full of gears and machinery. A place full of science and paved stone.

He shook his head and turned back to the girl and help her pull the jar up. As strong as he wasn't, he was still stronger then this girl and the jar came up faster.

"Thanks. You looked a little out of it for a second," she said smiling sweetly.

Relena helped him drag the heavy jar out of the well and untie the knot "I'm visiting a friend that lives here. Rashid's nearby so I thought I'd go see him as well. I'll walk with you."

Trowa nodded and carried the jug of water while the girl chatted happily. There were two handles on the jar so they each took one handle and shared the load.

Trowa and her parted ways as they were nearing the kitchen door. She left to go find Rashid and say hello. He waved to her goodbye and carried the water in. Cathy had already cut all the vegetables and readied the fire and herbs when he got in. She ladled water into a pot and placed it on the oven.

"Thank you Trowa, I'm so glad I get help, I usually have to carry that jug all by myself. Mind you the water you have to draw is from the river near the well, you'll be given a jar, not quite as big and a lot lighter. Believe me, it's much easier to just bathe in the river. We do that a lot more since it's easier but water does have to be drawn for Master," Cathy said as she started adding vegetables into the water.

Trowa helped her set the table for Master Rashid's lunch, it was a very simple meal, soup that Cathy made and some cheeses and bread. Some grape wine and beer also graced his table.

Trowa gazed into the jug of wine in his hands and the sharp aroma invaded his senses bringing about a memory almost completely forgotten.

"Trowa, my boy! Soon you can drink with me and your elders, until then! Stick with your drinks and enjoy your childhood," a man said, his green eyes shining with pride as he looked down at his son.

Trowa shook his head and cleared the memory, his father... he had a family.

"Trowa! Come help me with this," Cathy called and Trowa put down the jug on the table and he went to help Cathy wash the dishes.

She handed him a dish rag "Here, this always goes faster with company."

He dried the pots and ladles and put them off to one side for stacking later, he didn't know where they went but he was sure that Cathy would tell him.

Two Years Later

Trowa pitched another bale full of hay into the cement ground before raking it around to create an even layer of hay. Once he was satisfied with his work he patted Rajah, the tiger, and walked out of his cage and locked it behind him.

The tiger let out a tired roar and Trowa smirked "I know I know. I won't forget to feed you!"

He put a couple scrap meats into a trough and watched as Rajah and his mates gorge on the food. Trowa turned around and patted Galal through the bars.

"Hello Heero. I'm finished," Trowa said looking at the Prussian eyed boy through a fan of hair.

The other man nodded before turning and assuming his other duties. Trowa was quick and efficient in his job and after two years of working here, he was also the most comfortable around these animals. The animals treated him like their own already, Duo had joked that the animals had adopted him. That was fine with Trowa, he had a family now.

Trowa frowned but only on the inside, on the outside his features remained like stone. He was slowly remembering his life before the slave ship came and took him away. All he'd been able to piece together was that he lived in a place where it rained sometimes, not anywhere near here, and where there were automatic 'machines' that took him to different places. His family wasn't big, there was him, his father, and his two brothers. His mother he never recalled but he did see a girl he thought could have been his sister. Trowa also recalled other things, the sound of a cart on cobblestone, the sound of swords clashing, the bright flashes of sunlight through the wings of white birds, the smell of trees.

"Trowa!" Cathy yelled and hit him in the arm drawing him out of his daze.

He looked around surprised, he was in the kitchen, his feet had brought him here, where he went everyday after he finished his duties.

She laughed "Oh you! Take a break today! You always come here, I'm beginning to forget how to do this on my own. Take a bath, you missed yours this morning."

Trowa dodged her playful blows and walked out the back down, the corner of his mouth turned up in humor.

He walked down to the pathway that he'd memorized and waved at the women at the well, he'd seen them many times before. He saw Relena wave at him before continuing down the street to go see Rashid again. That girl came three to four times a week silently and leaving just as quietly. He'd only seen her leave once because he had accidentally wandered into a part of the mansion he'd never been. She wasn't supposed to be there, she confided in him enough to tell him that her parents disapproved of her sneaking out to see Rashid.

Trowa assumed that Rashid and her were lovers, it was only reasonable since she was always sneaking about. He could also see why her parents disapproved, Rashid was nearly twice her age even though that wasn't uncommon.

Trowa reached the rivers edge and he walked along it's banks until he got to a place that was hidden from the rest of the world. A secluded area that the water ran calmly past, the area was shrouded by a tall tree and an array of tall bushes. The tree could only be classified as a willow tree.

But apparently the area wasn't as private as he thought it was, there was someone already there. A boy with pale blonde hair and even paler skin, he looked up when Trowa entered and he was shocked to see crystalline blue eyes. The boy met his gaze and Trowa nearly staggered back when he saw the intensity and kindness held within them.

"Hello," the boy said, his lips curving into a smile "I'm sorry I surprised you. You surprised me too. Are you going to come in or just stand there and stare?"

Trowa stepped in and let the screen of leaves fall behind him "I didn't think there was anyone else here..."

The blond gave a childish shrug "Me neither. My name's... you can call me Quat."

Trowa stepped up closer "My name's Trowa. Are you a noble?"

He looked up quickly "That depends, would be my friend if you weren't?"

The green eyed boy looked off in the distance "I don't have any friends."

"Why not?" Quat asked climbing out of the water revealing black trousers and bare feet.

He shrugged "I'm a slave. I'm not allowed to have friends... that's what the people on the slave boats said..." 'that's what I learned' Trowa completed in his mind.

Quat looked surprised "No friends? Slave boats? You don't look like a slave."

Trowa stuck his hands into his pockets, he felt remarkably uneasy around this boy "I am."

The blond sat down beneath the tree and drew his knees closer to him "How long?"

Trowa shrugged "Over ten years... I think. There really isn't a sense of time after a while..."

"How did you become a slave?" the boy asked, his eyes shining with innocence.

Quatre watched as the tall young man before him turned inwards. His green eyes glazed over and suddenly he was lost in memory "It was dark. A boat was holding a play... there was fire and screaming... I got lost... A man took me onto a ship that flew through the air. I met people. They stank and called me names. They grabbed at me and..." Quatre was surprised at the sudden close of memory and feelings. That was odd, he'd never met a person that could stop their emotions after Quatre fueled their thoughts.

He didn't mean to do it, not at first anyways, but it was so easy. To find out anything. Just ask and then a simple nudge. But this boy, this slave, this Trowa. Had a stronger mind then anyone he'd ever met before.

Trowa returned to himself and he felt a residue of something he knew. He'd felt it before. Magic. Trowa turned his green eyes onto the little boy before him, this boy. Who was he?

As suddenly as he came Trowa vanished through the canopy of branches and hurried back to Rashid's leaving Quatre dumbfounded and alone.

Thanks everyone! I didn't feel like two years (730 days) of the same thing over and over again. You know, Trowa getting up, Trowa doing work, Quatre going to class, going to bed. It'd get boring fast! Anyways! Read and Review folks!


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